Automobile logistics specialists meet airfreight experts

VDA’s Logistics Circle pays a visit to Lufthansa Cargo

Even six months after the airspace restrictions resulting from the Icelandic volcanic ash, the consequences for the worldwide logistic processes were still a hot topic in the discussions of the automobile and airfreight managers. The Logistics Circle of the Association of the Automobile Industry (VDA) had accepted the invitation of Lufthansa Cargo to Frankfurt for its conference in mid- September. In April, the forced grounding imposed by the authorities which went on for several days, led to serious problems for the worldwide production of several automobile manufacturers. The VDA representatives unanimously emphasized that for urgently required shipments there is absolutely no alternative to airfreight.

Dr. Andreas Otto, Vice-president Product and Sales at Lufthansa Cargo, made it clear just how serious the consequences of an absolute ban on night flights at German airports would be for globally-operating manufacturing companies. "The complexity of the worldwide logistic processes has increased enormously. An exporting nation like Germany cannot afford to allow the country to be decoupled from the international flow of goods for several hours daily". There was support for this position from the VDA. As the first association of manufacturing industry, last summer the VDA became a member of the initiative "Cargo needs the Night". The initiative, founded by the logistics industry, campaigns for competitive operating times at commercial German airports.

At the two-day conference at Lufthansa Cargo, the logistics managers also informed themselves about innovations in the airfreight industry, as well as the consequences of the steadily increasing safety regulations.